From Wage Slave to Tycoon

"Seven o’clock? Young Master Huang?"

Su Chen was a little surprised to see the address Deng Chao had sent.

As one of Shanghai’s top private kitchens, Young Master Huang only served two tables per meal period and required advance reservations.

’I wonder if Deng Chao made the reservation or if his friend did. If it was Deng Chao, this could be interesting!’

Su Chen didn’t know much about Deng Chao. He had seen many of his TV shows when he was younger and had a good impression of him.

But after entering the workforce and getting caught up in making a living, he hadn’t had much time to watch TV shows or movies.

He was busy until eleven or twelve every night, and he would basically crash the moment he got home.

Who had the energy to keep up with what celebrities were doing?

After quickly tidying himself up and letting Aunt Tang know he was leaving, Su Chen headed out the door.

Young Master Huang was located in a small, two-story Western-style house in Jing’an District. It was a bit of a drive for Su Chen, and since it was already past five o’clock, he was heading right into rush hour.

The drive was all stop-and-go traffic. By the time he reached Young Master Huang, it was already six-thirty.

"Hello, sir. Do you have a reservation?"

As soon as Su Chen stepped through the main entrance, a middle-aged man who looked like a butler came forward to greet him.

"Yes, a reservation under the name Deng."

Hearing Su Chen’s words, the middle-aged man bowed slightly and said, "That would be Mr. Su, correct? Mr. Deng and his friend have already arrived. They are on the second floor. This way, please!"

With a gesture of his right hand, the middle-aged man led Su Chen toward the second floor.

Su Chen took in the surrounding decor as he walked.

It was... not what he expected.

Young Master Huang wasn’t gaudy or ostentatious, yet it exuded a palpable sense of high-end luxury.

’As one of Shanghai’s top private kitchens, it really is impressive.’

Because they only served two tables per meal, the entire second floor consisted of a single room.

"Mr. Su, right this way." The middle-aged man stood at the door to the private room and bowed.

"Thank you for your trouble." With that, Su Chen pushed the door open and walked in.

The private room was very large and divided into two sections: a lounge area and a dining area.

The moment he entered, Su Chen saw Deng Chao chatting and drinking tea with a slightly heavyset man.

Since the heavyset man had his back to him, Su Chen couldn’t immediately see who it was.

"Mr. Su!" Deng Chao quickly stood up to greet him.

At this, the seated man also rose to his feet.

When Su Chen saw the man’s face, he was stunned.

A phrase suddenly popped into his head: "A good man is me, and I am that good man, Zeng Xiaoxian!"

What could he do? That TV show was just too popular!

It would have been difficult for Su Chen *not* to recognize him.

"Chen He! I didn’t expect Brother Chao’s friend to be you!"

"Hahaha! Mr. Su, a pleasure. Old Deng has been mentioning you nonstop these past few days. I hope you’ll forgive me for intruding today!"

Now *that* was how you talk to people. A fucking masterclass in social grace.

With just one simple sentence, he made Su Chen feel completely at ease, dispelling any awkwardness and instantly closing the distance between them.

He was basically explaining why he had joined the dinner... he wanted to see the big shot Deng Chao was always talking about.

Was there anything wrong with that?

Of course not!

Did Su Chen mind?

Of course not. Who doesn’t like to be flattered?

As expected of someone in the entertainment industry. He had the art of social navigation down to a science.

"A meal with friends is always livelier with more people!"

The three of them sat down, growing a bit more familiar with each other. The initial stiffness of a first meeting vanished as they smoked and chatted.

Their conversation only ended when a server came to ask if they were ready for the food to be served.

The server introduced each dish as it was brought out, waiting until Su Chen’s party had mostly finished one course before bringing the next.

This ensured the food was always at the perfect temperature and flavor, unlike other restaurants that would dump all the dishes on the table at once, causing many to go cold and lose their appeal.

Royal Steamed Egg with King Crab Meat and Caviar, Pan-Seared Foie Gras with Pomegranate Vinaigrette, Free-Range Chicken Soup with Dendrobium and Seahorse, Hokkaido Scallops with Fresh Truffle Slices, Imperial-Style Shark Fin, and the Signature Black Truffle Abalone with Braised Pork Belly!

"Mr. Su, I hear this soup can nourish your yin and fortify your kidneys. It’s slow-cooked for eight hours, then goji berries are added and it’s steeped for another two. The dendrobium and seahorse in it are major tonics!" Deng Chao said, pointing at the Free-Range Chicken Soup with Dendrobium and Seahorse.

But the look in his eyes was anything but serious!

’Besides, am I the kind of guy who needs a boost from dendrobium and seahorses?’

’I have plenty of stamina as it is!’

"This soup really is delicious, and the chicken is excellent!"

Despite his internal complaints, Su Chen’s hands didn’t slow down for a second. In no time, he had finished his entire portion of the chicken soup.

He even chewed on the dendrobium and small seahorses in the bowl. If the seahorses weren’t so tough, he would have swallowed them whole.

The portions for each dish weren’t large. Including a fruit salad, there were only seven courses in total, leaving them feeling about seventy or eighty percent full.

But Su Chen was thoroughly satisfied.

"Mr. Su, I wonder what your thoughts are on investing in hot pot?" Chen He suddenly asked from the side.

"Hot pot?" Su Chen glanced at Chen He, a little puzzled.

He was all too familiar with hot pot. As a native of Wudu, a love for hot pot was in his very bones.

"Mhm. A few celebrity friends and I have opened a hot pot restaurant, and we’re planning to turn it into a franchise. I was wondering if Mr. Su might be interested?"

The moment Su Chen heard this, he understood the whole plan. They would use the celebrity fan effect to attract opportunistic franchisees and quickly blanket the country with their hot pot restaurants.

After a moment of thought, Su Chen slowly shook his head. "I’m not very optimistic about this project."

As soon as he said it, the expression on Chen He’s face changed. His brows furrowed so tightly you could have killed a mosquito between them.

"Mr. Su, what makes you say that?"

Su Chen glanced at Chen He and said flatly, "Have you considered the regional differences in diet?"

"Dietary differences?" Both Chen He and Deng Chao had faces full of question marks.

Seeing that they still didn’t get it, Su Chen sighed softly. "The reason hot pot from the Sichuan-Chongqing region is so popular is because of the local culinary environment. Think about places like Jiangnan or the coastal areas—their cuisines are mainly light and slightly sweet. Do you really expect them to eat hot pot every day?"

"Initially, your hot pot restaurant might expand rapidly because of the fan effect, but what about later? Once the initial fan enthusiasm fades and the hot pot fails to suit the local palate, what do you think will happen to these franchisees?"

"They’ll shut down!"

Chen He was no fool; on the contrary, he was cunningly smart.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have thought of using the fan effect to make money with a hot pot restaurant. After hearing Su Chen’s words, he instantly understood. This was a pit, the kind you dig to bury yourself in.

"Thank you, Mr. Su. Your words were a true wake-up call!"

Su Chen shook his head slightly. "I’m just sharing my thoughts. The final decision is still up to you."

In truth, Su Chen knew that even if Chen He really did launch the hot pot franchise and it went just as he had predicted—with franchised stores closing one after another—it wouldn’t have a major impact on Chen He himself.

At most, his reputation would take a hit.

Just as Chen He was about to say something more, the phone beside him started to ring.

He made an apologetic gesture to Su Chen and Deng Chao, then picked up the phone and walked to the side to take the call.

"Hm? I’m at Young Master Huang right now. On the second floor! With some friends..."

Chen He hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Su Chen, who was chatting with Deng Chao. "Alright, you can come up," he said with a sigh of resignation.

After hanging up, Chen He quickly walked back to the dining table.

"Mr. Su, my apologies. A friend of mine happens to be eating at Young Master Huang as well and wants to come over and say hello," Chen He said, looking embarrassed.

Su Chen shook his head, indicating he didn’t mind. After all, the host today wasn’t him but Deng Chao. Since Deng Chao hadn’t said anything, what right did he, a guest, have to object?

"He... who is it?" Deng Chao asked, also a bit curious, though he knew his friend wouldn’t just let anyone barge in.

"You’ll know in a minute."

Before long, there was a knock on the door, and a slender man pushed it open and walked in.

When he got a clear look at the newcomer, Su Chen’s jaw dropped slightly.